The present invention relates to a process of getting film developed and sending reprints to friends and relations. It will be appreciated that although the process of developing film is well known, it is also well known that getting reprints is an arduous and time consuming task because you have to return to the store, select the prints to produce, leave your negatives (and risk losing them), return again to pick up the reprints, then pack up and ship them to appropriate parties. This is complicated further if you would like the remote party to pick out their own pictures, which involves sending or somehow transmitting the originals to the party so that they may select the pictures they desire.
The present invention makes it easier to order reprints from remote locations. For consumers, this is a great benefit because they get control of the selection and number of pictures. In addition, in some instances, the reprints may be immediately available, saving a second trip to the store. For businesses, the present invention improves the production of reprints for cost savings. Since it is easier for consumers, it is likely to result in a higher percentage of orders as well.
The present invention includes the advantages that a consumer can order reprints without multiple trips to the store location, remote friends or relations can order reprints directly and prints and negatives do not need to be sent to relatives or left at a store location.
The present invention extends the idea of PhotoNet, a registered trademark of PictureVision, Inc., for an on-line photocenter described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/773,756, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,157, incorporated herein by reference by placing a remote computer within a retail location. This computer can gain access to the remote images and allow any consumer in any location to place an order. The order is then immediately available to the consumer on a local print device. As a result, the remote consumer can enter a store, see the images remotely, place an order, and pick up the order, all with a single trip to the store of their choice.